Beginnings of an Article: Research, Sources, Mind Maps and Self-Constructed Obstacles?

After a couple of wobbly days, when I haven't been able to settle to writing anything, or doing much of anything at all really, the week has ended on a slightly more positive note.

Although I haven't really written much, I have been doing things that don't need as much concentration or creativity, but are important things to do to keep me moving towards my goal of becoming a freelance writer.

I've been through my collection of newspaper/magazine articles and sorted them into helpful categories. I've collected examples of publications where I might be able to submit an article. I've cleaned the house and cleared the decks. I've avoided looking at my detailed To Do list and in preference have used only my calender, which has only the essentials on it : Bills to Pay, Meetings to Go To and Writing Deadlines.

Making those my only priorities for a few days has helped. And today I feel much more motivated to be creative. I written a post about Twitter for Write Here! and will write a post on here to catch up a bit. Then I'll do some more work on my article, perhaps write a first draft. Although I think it might be better if I spent some time organising the references and facts and figures I have collected before I start writing a proper draft.

This is what I've done this week:

Mind Map to Outline

From my original mind map, broadly taking into consideration the research I've done, I have drafted a brief outline of my article. I have organised headings (usually questions) plus the odd note under an introdustion and five main 'paragraphs' although each of these will be more than one paragraph when finished. The word 'paragraph' will eventually be replaced by a sub-heading, as they occur to me.

Article One: Going Green With a Blue Bin!

Introduction:

Why Go Green?
Preserving the Earth as habitable for future generations - conservation

Why Recycle?
Landfill sites
Non-sustainable resources
Energy usage

Facts and Figures
Global/Europe/UK/County/Borough
How much waste is produced every day/week/month/year - per individual/country?
How much waste is recycled every day/week/month/year - per individual/country?
EU targets for recycling?

Paragraph One:

The Blue Bin Scheme - 6 months - figures?
Began last October - progress?
Mr B - "a success" - figures? (how many people recycling, how much waste recycled)

Problems?
Mr B - "people abusing the scheme"? (dog waste/bicycle/televisions?)

What can go in blue bins? / What can't go in blue bins?
Different types of paper and card?
Margerine tubs! (why can't plastic be recycled?)

Proposed/possible future changes?
Addition of other materials to the list of recyclables?
Mini sites? (special collections for the disabled, etc.?)
Bigger bins?

Tips for getting the most out of blue bin recycling?
Wash out tins and bottles to prevent contamination of paper.

Paragraph Two:

Where and how is the rubbish (waste?) separated?
Process - hand sorting

Where is it recycled?

What is it recycled into?

Paragraph Three:

Where can other things be recycled?
White goods -
Electrical equipment (television/stereo) -
Mobile Phones -
Computers -
Batteries -
Glass - never decomposes but can be endlessly recycled
Plastics -
Clothes - recycling helps other people too
Furniture - recycling helps other people too

Contacts?
Quotation from council and/or green party?

Where/how are these recycled?

Paragraph Four:

Recycling in the home?
Meals -
Compost -
Water -
Paper -
Garden (bird-feeders from tins, scarers from cds, etc.) -

Paragraph Five: Ways to avoid recycling?

Avoiding waste?
Going paperless -
Consumer choice - packaging. bags, etc.
Buying in bulk - less packaging (also less transport miles)
Rechargeable batteries - save money as well as preventing toxic leakage into environment

Re-use or Repair?

Conclusion:

Blue Bin Scheme - how is it defined as successful?
Quotes - Council and consumers?

How does it make a difference?

Why it's such a great idea!
Easy, takes no money or effort or time to do something important.

Mr B is a real person, but I didn't think it fair to include his real name here without asking his permission! But that's something else I did this week ...

Researching Possible Sources

I began this whole thing by looking online to try and discover a little more about blue bins, having got one myself, and really wanting to make the best use of it. So I looked at the local newspaper website and the local government recycling site first, then I looked at the wider issue of recycling.

While doing this general research, I found five names of people I thought might be able to provide some interesting information, a personal comment, some more specific details, some facts and figures or some further possible contacts.

Contacting Possible Sources

I decided to send an email rather than call them on the phone, because I'm a coward! No, seriously, I'd rather turn up in person than talk to someone on the phone if I don't know them, but realise that's probably not the most convenient (or welcomed) way to approach people.

So I sent a copy of the following email to each of the five people, but I decided to send it separately, so I could address each person individually, rather than address it to one person (or 'Dear Sir/Madam') and then include the others in the Cc: list.

But I realised it might be helpful if they all knew the email had been delivered to the other people as well, so I included a list at the bottom:

Dear Mr B,

I am writing an article on 'Recycling and the local Blue Bin Scheme' (to submit, in the first instance, to the local Evening News.) I began researching the subject recently, from a personal perspective as I was unsure how to best make use of my own blue bin, but think other people might find the information I found useful, and it will also hopefully support the blue bin scheme.

It seems a good time, as the scheme has now been running for 6 months. I would like to include a comprehensive list of items that can/can't be recycled in the bins, to suggest alternatives where applicable, and to explain the process of recycling the waste after it has been collected from the blue bins. I would also like to include any prospects of future development.

I would appreciate any information (or other sources of information) you could give me regarding this. I also wondered if you would like to make a comment on the success of the blue bin scheme?

I have sent this email to Mr S, Mr D, Mr G, and Mr. B.

Regards,

I received two auto-response replies to say that the recipient was away from the office. I also received a very helpful reply from Mr B (thank you, Mr B!) who suggested I call him to discuss my requirements. I did but he wasn't in, so I left a message, then sent another email to thank him for his reply and include a brief outline of my article to give him an idea of what I was doing, with my phone number.

'Talking' to Sources

He very kindly called me and we talked for a while about recycling and the blue bin scheme generally. He was lovely, he gave me lots to think about, invited me to an Open Day for the press, and suggested I contact him again for any further information.

So the following day I sent him a list of more specific questions:

Mr B, (although I used his first name as that is how he addressed himself both by email and on the phone)

Thank you for calling. Sorry I was a little lost for words at first, youcaught me off guard as I hadn't expected you to reply so soon! And thank youfor all the great information. I didn't have my notes to hand, so missed acouple of questions:

1. What happens to the waste after it has been sorted? Where does it go tobe recycled (assuming it is sorted and then taken elsewhere)and what is it recycled into?
2. Do you have figures to support the scheme being a general success,perhaps the amount of waste (combined or individually) now recycled,compared to when the scheme started?
3. Do commercial/industrial properties have blue bins (or similar)?
4. Are there plans to include other materials in the future (like margerine tubs ... I feel really guilty, now!)?
5. I recently had a replacement bin, which seems larger than most. Is thisbecause you have increased bin size generally?

OK, so there's a few more than a couple! But if you can help with any ofthem, it would be much appreciated.I really appreciate your time, Mr B. I should point out, to be fair, that Ihave yet to have anything published in print. In fact this will be the firstarticle ever submitted by me, so it might well not be accepted (but we allhave to start somewhere!) I'm just starting out on the road to freelancewriting, by writing various blogs and I've published a few articles onHelium. I'll include links at the bottom of this, so you can see the sort ofwriting I've done. The blogs are more personal and the Helium articles moreprofessional, but both are very different to my article on blue bins andrecycling.

I'll send you a draft before I submit it, probably towards the end of thismonth. Can I quote you on the success of the scheme, perhaps with referenceto some figures? Do you want me to mention the problems and any action youmight take to resolve them ... I forgot to ask, what will you do if people refuse to use the scheme sensibly? Is the ultimate penalty a fine?

I can't believe people are so silly ... well, I can, but you know what Imean! I have found the blue bin a great way to do my bit for recycling(thank you!) and such an easy way too, it doesn't cost anything in money ortime or effort.

Wishing you and the scheme continued success!

I look forward to hearing from you and finishing the article. If it isn'taccepted for publication by the Evening News, perhaps it will be of some use elsewhere. You would be welcome to use anything I write on your recyclingwebsite.

Regards

Now, there may be a lesson coming up here as I haven't had a reply from him. I'm hoping he's just very busy, but a little worried that I have made a mistake on two possible counts:

1. The email from me leans towards the friendly rather than the professional.

It's fine line and having thought about it, it's easier toed on the phone (easier still in person) because we have immediate, continuous feedback. But I always get so flustered on the phone! And even when I do have notes in front of me, I find it difficult to concentrate on reading, writing and listening at the same time, so usually miss lots of important stuff. So I tried to write the email in the same tone as our conversation, but may have missed the mark a little.

2. I have admitted that I am not a published writer.

Now, I know this is the wrong thing to do when submitting a query letter to an editor, having read lots of advice about queries in the Dabbling Mum's excellent ebook. But in this case, I felt it was only fair to fess up, as he is obviously a busy man, with a press Open Day coming up. The bin scheme is 6 months old and will likely mean lots of articles are submitted on this very subject, from lots of much more experienced writers.

I didn't think it fair to ask for his time, without being honest about the fact that (although always much appreciated by me) it might not have a positive result. I imagine a positive result for him would be more promotion for the scheme.

Finding Obstacles

So, we will see what happens ... a self-constructed obstacle on the path to freelance writing, perhaps? That's ok, I knew there would be obstacles and although it's a bit silly to build them myself (I'm sure there are enough already), as long as I learn something from them (and hopefully help others not to make the same daft mistake) obstacles are a good thing.

I've also drafted a query, but will post about that next time. Because I've done some writing today, I feel in the creative flow again and will try and post over the weekend to catch up a bit!

Have a great weekend!

:o)

So what is freelance writing, anyway?

Freelance writing is writing that is written for particular project or contract, usually with a set time-frame and under certain guidelines.

The word 'freelance' comes from the time when knights would offer their services to the highest-paying Lord, so being 'free lancers.'

In the same way, freelance writers offer the services of their pens!

Freelance writing comes in many forms, varying widely in content, structure and style, for many different audiences:

Fiction: Poetry, short stories, screenwriting and songs. Novels are usually seen as something entirely separate, but they seem to fall under the same definition? Are novelists freelance writers? Perhaps not, as I get the impression a novelist will generally work for one publisher and with one agent?

Non-fiction: A huge variety of genres and subjects, including articles, reviews and books.

Journalism: Print, audio (radio), visual (TV) and online.

Copywriting: Sales and marketing.

Ghostwriting: Writing something that will be offically credited to another person (for which the original writer may or may not be acknowledged by the publisher.)

Greetings Cards: Usually poetic, perhaps humourous, short pieces for inside greetings cards. All the large card publishers use freelance writers and Blue Mountain hire writers for their online cards.

Fillers: Very short pieces for columns or small spaces on a magazine page, usually useful tips, jokes, quotations, or interesting facts.

Articles: Factual pieces, in many different forms, for a mind-boggling array of publications both on and offline (newspapers, magazines, e-zines, journals, brochures, pamphlets, newsletters ...) They may be professional or personal in tone, they vary from a few hundred to a few thousand words, they may include pictures or graphs, they may contain facts or opinions, or both.

Essays: Hmmm, not sure what to make of these. I can't think why anyone would want an essay unless they are studying something in an educational establishment (whether real or virtual) ... are these essays really being bought by students? Surely not! How would they get away with that?

There are a variety of other, often specialist, types of non-fiction writing, under subjects such as medical and technological writing.

Freelance writers write reports, resumes, business plans and speeches.

Then there is writing specifically intended to be read online, on websites, adverts, newletters, reports, ebooks and blogs.

Blogging is a form of freelance writing too! I don't have enough experience to work as a freelance blogger, but I thinks it's worth receiving Problogger's RSS Feed to keep up to date with the Job Board, it's interesting to see what's out there. Recent jobs on Problogger have included:

Stock/Financial Markets Blogger
Health and Fitness and Nutrition Blogger
Summer Olympics Blogger
Political Gossip Blogger
Movie/Celebrity Blogger
Make Money Online Blogger
Cellphone Blogger

So, with all these types of freelance writing, is there any wonder it's so easy to find the whole concept of freelance writing a little overwhelming? Plus each category covers numerous subjects and styles, and can be found in a wide variety of places.

I have definitely found it all overwhelming but on the other hand, it's amazing! And exciting, that there are so many places to sell writing. I think the trick is probably to stick to one type (or at least to focus on one) although a beginner might do well to try a few until they find their niche.

I found it easy to eliminate some from the list immediately. Fiction really isn't my thing (I struggle with the imagination needed) but I'm an information junkie and I love research. Although I enjoy politics and current affairs, I don't know enough to write about it and I wouldn't be able to keep a detached view of things. I have never tried copywriting but I get the impression that it needs to be very sharp and succinct, something I'm really not very good at (ahem!)

My background is in academic writing - researching history and theory, looking at something from lots of angles, analysing previous opinions or facts and putting it all together in a useful, novel format (well that's the theory, I did pretty well at undergraduate and masters degrees, so I must have been doing something right!)

The skills I developed while studying at uni seem to translate really well into article-writing. So, that was easy, I never really considered other freelance writing, though I always keep an eye open as some of the other types are very interesting and I might try them some day. The next things was to decide where to write, for which type of publication, what sort of articles about which subjects ...

Well, this is long enough, I'll get to all that another day!

For anyone else wishing to focus on article-writing, I have found the following very useful:

The Freelance Writers' Database (UK)

Trente Steele's excellent resources for freelance writers - it's well-worth signing up for his free Smart Writers newletter, full of tips and links for writers, including Nick Daws' blog

If you love writing of any kind, have a look at the Aelf's Bloggery

Lots of Articles on Articles here

And last (for now), but definitely not least ... The Dabbling Mum

I first stumbled across The Dabbling Mum a couple of years ago and found loads of really useful information about writing (alongside other information including parenting, business, contests, shopping, reviews and recipes.)

The Dabbling Mum is in fact one of the most useful resources I have discovered so far, as a Mum who is attempting to be a freelance writer, particularly. I have recently exchanged emails with the real Dabbling Mum, who is truly lovely and has been incredibly supportive of my new freelance venture. I am hoping to submit an ebook (craft-based) to the Dabbling Mum website very soon.

Sign up for the Dabbling Mum's three free newletters. There's one for business, one for parenting and one for writing, all of which are filled with lots of helpful advice, tip and links. You can sign up for them at the bottom of the homepage (link above.)

:o)

What on earth am I doing?

Do I really need another blog to write?

(Besides the three I struggle to keep up with already! And the articles and books I'm working on. And the student/parent website I'm designing ...)

Yes. I do. Because this is a whole new adventure in my life and I'm loving it/I'm learning so much at the moment and I want somewhere to record it all/I want to share the things I learn along the way and hopefully help others who are starting out on the same journey.

Written by a total beginner (and by someone who gets a bit freaked out by it all and wants to run away or, at the very least, stick her head in the sand), this blog will certainly be a steep learning curve ...

The lovely Dabbling Mum (thank you, DM!) took time out of a busy schedule recently to advise me to focus Write Here! on freelance writing. I had been thinking about shaking things up a bit on there; moving away from a collection of random posts to a blog with more focus. Having played around on it for almost three months, I think it's time to get serious. But I'm reluctant to give up my Moon posts and I really want to write on creativity/productivity and wellbeing, so have decided to leave Write Here! as it is. (Pretty much.)

But I've taken the Dabbling Mum's advice to heart and feel really inspired to write a blog about my journey into freelance writing ... from the very beginning.

I've done a fair amount of personal and academic writing but have no experience of being published. I've done plenty of research about freelance writing though, so it will be good to get it all out of my head, to organize the scribbles-on-scraps-of-paper into meaningful information, and to finally act on all the excellent advice I've been given.

While I love a challenge and enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone, I've learned where the boundary lies between pushing myself and tripping myself up. So although I'm starting another blog, I'm working it into the things I'm already committed to writing. I'm going to stick to my decision to write Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Write Here! I'll still write one post a week on Student Mum. I'll write once a day on Life is a Learning Curve/The Freelance Writing Learning Curve.

Clever, hey? Haha! Because both blogs are Learning Curve blogs, I get to write an extra blog but without putting any added pressure on myself. (No, it's not cheating ... it's called lateral thinking for self preservation!)

The truth is, I suspect, that I will write more on this Learning Curve, at least for a while. I'm feeling so enthusiastic and excited ... I already have a growing list of posts I want to write.

Even the longest journey starts with a single step.

I have always loved that proverb. But it isn't quite right. A journey usually starts way before the first step, in planning and preparing, in collecting all the things we need. Before that, even ... in deciding where you're going. Perhaps. Sometimes, the best journeys are those where we just head out with no idea where the wind will take us. But when we have a destination in mind, we must make some decisions and take some actions before we set off, so that we give ourselves the best chance of getting there.

Not that I expect it to be all smooth going, not that I would want it to be, but I do want to get there.

So the first few posts on here will be about the preliminary work I've done before that first step on the journey towards my destination. My destination, just to be clear about it (because writing my goals on my blog has really helped me stick to them), is to be a full-time freelance writer, to earn my living from writing. Not in a rich-and-famous kind of way, just in a keeping-the-wolves-from-the-door kind of way. Having everything we need, rather than everything we want.

The first step is to get something published. The preliminary steps include researching the subject, doing lots of reading and actually writing. I have learned about the best place and time for me to write. I have learned something about my style of writing, my strengths and weaknesses, and my preferences. I have learned how to motivate myself. I have realised that choosing to focus on just a few, simple goals and putting them in writing, means I have a good chance of sticking to them.

(Ongoing) Preparation/Preliminary Steps:

Understanding the concept of freelance writing.
Finding the best time and place to write.
Developing writing skills.
Finding motivation and inspiration.
Learning how to set deadlines that work.
Thinking about the possibilities of freelance writing.
Reading and talking to freelance writers.
Assessing magazines and newspapers for style and content.

First Step of the Journey:

To submit an article to a local newspaper about blue (recycling) bins.

I've been thinking about this for a few days, since stating it as a goal on Write here! I was concerned I'd chosen something that everyone might already know about and therefore an article would be of no interest to an editor. But I think if I expand it slightly (to include some other things that can't be recycled in the bins, for example) it might prove a more useful/desirable article. Unless people are really into recycling, they might appreciate some of the facts and figures I found when researching it for personal reasons.

I still have doubts. But I know that self-doubt is the fast-track to procrastination for me. So I have decided I will acknowledge doubts, consider them carefully (in case they do in fact have good foundations) and then totally ignore them.

Ha! A little easier said then done ... but written is a different matter. I have discovered, through writing a blog, that putting goals in writing helps me achieve them. (Part of that is the fact they are more permanent than spoken words, part of it is that I'm writing them down in public so feel I have accountability, and part of it is that I have had amazing support and encouragement from fellow bloggers.)

So, it will be interesting to see if writing such an intangible intention will have the same positive results ...

:o)